Life science
plants
animals
Topic
Food Chains and Webs
Key Question
What are some of the food chains and webs found on
the playground and around school?
Integrated Processes
Observing
Classifying
Collecting and recording data
Comparing and contrasting
Generalizing
Learning Goal
Students will observe all living things on the playground
are part of various food chains which are links to overall
food webs.
Materials
For the class:
leaf showing insect damage (see Procedure 1)
For each group of students:
set of food chain cards (see Management 1)
Optional:
extra 3 x 5 cards
reference materials (see Bibliography)
drawing materials
Guiding Documents
Project 2061 Benchmarks
• A great variety of kinds of living things can be sorted
into groups in many ways using various features to
decide which things belong to which group.
• Almost all kinds of animals’ food can be traced back
to plants.
NRC Standards
• All animals depend on plants. Some animals eat
plants for food. Other animals eat animals that eat
the plants.
• Populations of organisms can be categorized by the
function they serve in an ecosystem. Plants and
some micro-organisms are producers — they make
their own food. All animals, including humans,
are consumers, which obtain food by eating other
organisms. Decomposers, primarily bacteria and
fungi, are consumers that use waste materials and
dead organisms for food. Food webs identify the
relationships among producers, consumers, and
decomposers in an ecosystem.
Background Information
The playground is a complete habitat with its own
food chains and webs. Each plant and animal has a
place on at least one chain and probably many more.
In this activity, students will learn about the food
chains and webs on the playground area they have
been observing. They will also become more familiar
with the terms omnivore, carnivore, herbivore, consumer, producer, and decomposer. Please refer to The
Inside Story: Producers and Consumers, Decomposers,
Herbivores, Carnivores, Omnivores; Food Webs and
Pyramids for more detailed information about these
relationships.
The plants and animals in this activity were chosen
because they are fairly common on most playgrounds.
Some may be similar to but not exactly the same species found in a particular area. Teachers and students
are encouraged to add cards to the set, amend information to make it more accurate for a certain local
species, or eliminate any cards that do not apply to
the location being studied. As the cards are adapted
to reflect the plants and animals the students are most
familiar with, the games and activities will be even
more effective. Keep in mind that predators such as
the hawk and owl have broad territories and may feed
on animals elsewhere who have found a meal on the
playground. Thus they may be part of a playground
food chain without ever visiting the school.
NCTM Standards
• Collect, organize, and describe data
• Make inferences and convincing arguments that
are based on data analysis
Math
Graphing
Calculating
Problem solving
Science
Environmental science
habitats
food chains and webs
Core Curriculum/Oklahoma
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© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
Food chains frequently overlap and are sometimes
difficult to define clearly because of food preferences.
An animal may eat a certain plant or animal only if
its preferred food is not available. Some foods, such
as ladybird beetles, may be eaten only occasionally
because the predator finds out how terrible they taste
and learns to leave them alone. The most typically
preferred food choices are listed first in the “Eats”
category of the consumer cards.
The lists on the cards reflect food chains known to
exist. If the students observe a link in the chain that is
not listed, it should be added to the extra cards. Local
experts may also be able to provide more precise
information concerning particular species.
Sometimes the feeding habits and food choices
change with the life cycle. For example, a tadpole eats
water plants (some also eat small water animals), but
the adult frog is a carnivore, eating only insects and
other animals. Plant-eating caterpillars become adult
moths and butterflies who may eat nectar or nothing
at all. For purposes of simplicity, the food chains in
this activity reflect only the illustrated life stage of each
animal.
or consumer (or decomposer), or omnivore, herbivore, carnivore, discuss the categories they
have chosen and then ask them to sort another
way according to some of these categories. Use
the opportunity to teach, discuss, and reinforce
understanding of the terms.
4. Direct one student in each group to choose a card
showing an insect or other invertebrate. Ask the other
members to find another card that represents a plant
or animal eaten by that animal. If the second card is
also an animal, tell them to find one more card showing something that is eaten by the second animal,
and so on. Then ask them to find (if possible) a card
representing something that eats the first animal,
continuing until the list is complete. Explain that
what they have put together is called a food chain,
showing what an organism eats as well as what it is
eaten by.
➝
Management
1. Mount the cards on construction paper or tagboard before cutting apart. Laminate if possible
for greater durability. Mounting each complete set
on a different color or pattern will help when stray
cards are found or sets are mixed.
2. You may wish to reduce the size of the cards and
make transparencies for the overhead projector
instead of using a set taped or pinned to a board
for demonstration purposes.
3. Students should work in groups of three or four
for the initial activity.
4. You may wish to make a set of cards for each
student to facilitate playing of games (also see
Home Link).
➝
➝
➝
5. One at a time, list or display each group’s food
chain on the board (or overhead projector) where
all can see. Ask the class to comment on similarities and differences. Be sure they notice that each
chain begins with green plants and that the chains
can be different lengths. Also call attention to the
same organisms that appear in different chains.
Ask the students to explain how something can be
in several places, encouraging them to recognize
that they also eat many different kinds of food
coming from both plant and animal materials.
6. Challenge the class to look for relationships
connecting two different chains. For example, a
mouse eating a cricket in one chain could also eat
grain in another chain or nuts in yet another. Use
a marker or chalk to draw connections to show
additional links among the food chains displayed.
Explain that the whole process of who eats what
is so interwoven that we call it a food web. A food
chain can be thought of as simply one link of a
food web.
7. Introduce another mystery: Who ate the caterpillar? Ask the students to go through the cards and
pull out any that are possible suspects. Discuss
which of these clues might lead to the most likely
culprit(s), considering what they have observed
on their playground.
Procedure
1. Use the overhead projector to show the class a leaf
with evidence of insect damage. Ask them to list
possible scenarios to explain the damage. If they
are familiar with the Clue™ game, the questioning
could follow that pattern: “I think the caterpillar did
it in the area near the soccer field with its mouth.”
2. Ask the students for ideas of ways they could
find out who eats what in the playground habitat.
Refer to evidence gathered in earlier lessons and
list some of the clues the class has noticed.
3. Give each group of students a set of cards. Explain
that the cards show some of the typical plants
and animals on a school playground. Ask each
group to sort the cards in any way they agree
upon and share the thinking behind their decision.
If no one chooses to sort according to producer
Core Curriculum/Oklahoma
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© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
8. Present yet another mystery: A hungry cricket
has just arrived on the playground and is likely to
stay. What food possibilities might have brought
it there? Again, have the students display the
cards showing possible choices. Have them put
the cards in order to show what they think would
most likely be eaten, based on the availability of
that food type in the playground habitat.
9. Encourage the students to continue posing such
mystery questions to the rest of their group until they
are more familiar with the cards and demonstrate an
understanding of the food chain relationships.
10. Choose from the following activities and games, both
now and in the future, to give the students further
practice in working with playground food chains.
that either eats or is eaten by the organism pictured.
The card is placed touching either three-inch side of
the starting card. If the player cannot play, he/she
must draw from the pile until a card is drawn that can
be played. The next player can match either card that
has a three-inch side exposed.
The winner is whoever is out of cards first. If no more
cards can be drawn and all players still have cards,
the winner is whoever has the fewest cards left.
Web War
Two players
Rules similar to the card game “War”
All cards are dealt out evenly. Each player holds his
or her cards face down in a stack. Each player turns
over a card at the same time. If the organism pictured
on one card is a consumer of the organism pictured
on the other, the person holding that card gets both,
adding them to the bottom of his or her stack. If the
cards are from unrelated food chains, they go back to
the bottom of each person’s stack.
However, any time either of the spider cards or the
daddy longlegs card comes up (not necessarily at the
same time), a “Web War” is called. Both players stack
two cards face down and a third card face up. If one is
a consumer of the other, the person holding that card
gets all the cards from that particular “Web War.” If the
two cards are unrelated, each player turns over one
more card, and so on until the “war” is won.
Sorting and Classifying Activities
• Group in one-or two-circle Venn diagrams
(depending upon the developmental level of
the students). Some possible categories to
start with include:
One circle — producers; insects; carnivores;
vertebrates …
Two circles — herbivores/invertebrates; carnivores/vertebrates; mammals/omnivores …
• Organize the cards according to how many
predators are listed for each organism. Arrange
the cards to form a representational graph.
Transfer the information to a graph of your own
design. Organize the cards again to show the
number of organisms eaten, graphing the data.
Compare the results. Discuss the reasons that
some cards are left out either way.
• Find as many chains as possible for two, three,
four, five links. Graph the results.
• Make a dichotomous key using all the cards.
• Organize the cards as follows according to their
shortest possible chain: producer; one link to
producer (herbivores); two links to producers;
three links to producers, and so forth. Display
the data as a bar graph, a circle graph, or both.
• Set a specific time period and survey the
playground, tallying the number of individuals
spotted for each card. Organize the resulting
data in a variety of ways.
• Encourage the students to come up with their
own means of displaying the data in the cards.
Gain a Chain
Two to four players
Rules somewhat similar to the card game “Go Fish”
Deal five cards to each player. The remaining cards
are put in a stack face down in the middle of the playing area. The goal is to connect as many food chains
as possible before the cards in the pile are gone.
Each player in turn asks the person on his/her left
for a specific card: “Do you have an earthworm?” If
the player does, he or she must give the card to the
person who asked. If he or she does not have the card,
the response is “Find Food.” In that case, the player
who asked draws the top card from the pile.
The only time a second turn is earned is if the player
draws the card he/she asked for. The card must be shown
immediately, before being placed in the hand.
The game ends when someone is told to “Find Food”
and takes the last card from the stack. Players organize
their cards according to food chains. They get one point
for every card that is in a food chain with just one other
card; two points for every card in a chain with two others;
three for each card in a chain with three others, and so
forth. Each card can only be counted in one chain, so
there is both strategy and math involved in determining
which arrangement will result in the most points.
Chain Gang
Two or three players
Rules similar to dominoes
Deal five cards to each player. Put the rest face
down in a pile. Turn over the first card and place in
the middle of the table for a starting point.
To play, the player must match the card with
another next to it in a food chain, i.e. an organism
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© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
Variation: Cards are counted for points in every
food chain connection that can be made in the player’s
hand. In this case, do not give points unless at least
three links in the chain are present (lots of strategy;
even more math).
cards. If they are a “linking pair” — two cards that are
next to each other in a food chain — the player picks
up the cards to keep. If not, the cards are turned back
face down. [Note: to be a linking pair, the two organisms may not have anything else on the food chain
between them. A hawk and a mouse are a linking
pair, but a hawk and grain are not.] If a linking pair
is found, that player gets another turn. If not, it is the
next player’s turn.
The game ends when all the cards are gone or when all
players agree that there are no more linking pairs left on
the table. The winner is the player with the most cards.
Chain Builders
Two players or two teams
The opposing players try to build complete food
chains.
Put all the cards face down in the center of the
playing area. The first player or team draws one card
and puts it face up where all can see. The other player
or team does likewise. The game continues with the
players or teams taking turn drawing cards. As each
new card is drawn, the player or team lays it down with
another card that could be in the same food chain. As
the game progresses, the cards on each side can be
rearranged to form different chains. When all the cards
have been drawn, each player or team tries to arrange
the cards on their side to form chains to give them the
most possible points.
A Web of Cards
Hand each student a single card (giving some thought
to which cards are used) and form a living food web.
Have the students face the center of the group with the
producers near the center and the carnivores around the
outside edge. You may wish to have a representation of
the sun in the middle to remind students that producer
plants get their energy from the sun and pass it along to
everything that eats them.
Run pieces of yarn or string from each consumer
to each of the organisms it consumes. When all the
links are made, talk about the experience and how it
feels to have so many connections. Carefully remove
a single student and all his/her connections to see the
impact of a single change.
Older students in particular may wish to lay down
the strings and cards right where they were standing
and move to the outside of the Web to get a different
perspective.
Scoring:
2 points each for cards in a complete food chain
(from producer to highest-level consumer with no
predators)
1 point each for cards in an incomplete food chain
0 points for isolated cards
Variation:
Use two decks of cards each with different backing material. Each team begins with its own deck.
The teams take turns drawing cards one at a time but
work together to build complete food chains. They may
place cards in a chain begun by the other team as well
as their own. Players may not move cards once they
are placed in a food chain. The game ends when all
cards have been drawn once.
More Games
Encourage the students to make up their own
games to share, using the cards, adding to them, or
designing something on their own.
Connecting Learning
1. What were some of the most common categories
suggested to sort the cards? What were some of
the most unusual?
2. Which organisms seem to appear most often in the
playground food chains? What reasons do you think
might explain this? Which organisms don’t seem to
appear as frequently? Why do you think this is so?
3. Do you appear in the playground food chain? Is there
anything on any of the cards that you might eat?
4. Which organisms seem to be the most picky eaters?
Do you think this makes it easier or harder for them
to survive on your playground? Explain.
5. Which organism is eaten by the most different
kinds of consumers? How do you think it manages
to survive when it is such a popular food?
6. Which producer is most common on your playground? How would the playground habitat be
different if it no longer grew there?
Scoring (use different backing to determine ownership
of cards)
1 point for each card correctly placed in a food chain,
complete or incomplete
0 points for isolated cards
Subtract 1 point for a card placed in a chain where it
doesn’t belong
Consumer Concentration
Two to four players
The setup is like the traditional concentration game,
but the matches are different.
Lay out the cards face down on the table in neat
rows and columns. Each person in turn flips over two
Core Curriculum/Oklahoma
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© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
7. Which animal is most common in your playground
habitat? If it were no longer there, what plants
would be affected? What other animals would be
affected? Would they be able to survive without
it? Give reasons for your answer.
8. What are you wondering now?
Core Curriculum/Oklahoma
Extension
Challenge the students to research and design cards
for a different habitat or ecosystem, particularly one
that is nearby or one that they have studied.
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© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
Key Question
What are some of the food
chains and webs found
on the playground and
around school?
Learning Goal
observe all living things on the playground
are part of various food chains which are
links to overall food webs.
Core Curriculum/Oklahoma
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© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
EATEN BY
Daddy longlegs
Earwig
Ground beetle
Mouse
Robin
Toad
EATS
Broadleaf plants (especially roses, plantain)
Woody plants — trees, shrubs (especially
fruit trees)
EATEN BY
Centipede
Daddy longlegs
Earwig
Ground beetle
Jumping spider
Ladybug
Orb-weaver spider
Robin
Sparrow
Toad
Earthworm
Frog
Jumping spider
Orb-weaver spider
Sparrow
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
CAT
CATERPILLAR
HERBIVORE
CONSUMER
CARNIVORE
CONSUMER
EATS
Broadleaf plants
Woody plants — trees, shrubs
Seeds, nuts, acorns, cones
Grasses and grains
Fleshy fruits and berries
Dead plant material
EATS
Mice
Flies
Sparrows
Garter snakes
Robins
Jumping spiders
Crickets
Screech owls
Frogs
Squirrels
Caterpillars
Daddy longlegs
Ground beetles
Orb-weaver spiders
Rabbits
Scarab beetles
Snails
Dead vertebrates
Dead and dying invertebrates
EATEN BY
Ant
Centipede
Frog
Ground beetle
Mouse
Robin
Sparrow
Toad
EATEN BY
Cat
Earwig
Garter snake
Jumping spider
Raccoon
Screech owl
Squirrel
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
Core Curriculum/Oklahoma
HERBIVORE
Earthworms
Scarab beetles
Dead vertebrates
Garbage
Dead plant material Crickets
Broadleaf plants
Isopods
Seeds, nuts, acorns, cones
Woody plants — trees, shrubs
CONSUMER
CONSUMER
EATS (varies by species and location)
Fleshy fruits and berries
Grasses and grains
Soil insects
Dead and dying inver tebrates
Caterpillars
Snails and slugs
APHID
OMNIVORE (some species are HERBIVORES)
ANT
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© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
CENTIPEDE
CRICKET
OMNIVORE
CONSUMER
CARNIVORE
CONSUMER
EATS
Soil insects
Aphids
Caterpillars
Daddy longlegs
Crickets
Earthworms
Earwigs
Isopods
Ground beetles
Millipedes
Jumping spiders
Snails and slugs
Scarab beetles
Dead and dying invertebrates
EATS
Grasses and grains
Garbage
Broadleaf plants
Dead vertebrates
Dead plant material
Seeds, nuts, acorns, cones
Dead and dying invertebrates
Fleshy fruits and berries
Woody plants — trees, shrubs
EATEN BY
Ants
Centipede
Earwig
Garter snake
Hawk
Mouse
Raccoon
Screech owl
Squirrel
EATEN BY
Frog
Garter snake
Mouse
Raccoon
Robin
Sparrow
Toad
Cat
Daddy longlegs
Frog
Ground beetle
Jumping spider
Orb-weaver spider
Robin
Sparrow
Toad
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
DADDY LONGLEGS
EATS
Dead plant material
Broadleaf plants (roots and ground-level
shoots)
Grasses and grains (roots and
ground-level shoots)
EATEN BY
Ants
Daddy longlegs
Frog
Ground beetle
Robin
Sparrow
Squirrel
Toad
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
Core Curriculum/Oklahoma
Centipede
Earwig
Garter snake
Raccoon
Screech owl
SCAVENGER (some are also HERBIVORES)
Centipede
Ground beetle
Robin
Sparrow
CONSUMER
EATEN BY
Cat
Frog
Raccoon
Screech owl
Toad
CARNIVORE (some species are HERBIVORES)
CONSUMER
EATS
Soil insects
Dead and dying invertebrates
Broadleaf plants (juices only)
Dead plant material Aphids
Crickets
Earthworms
Earwigs
Flies
Isopods
Snails and slugs
Soil insects
Ants
EARTHWORM
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
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© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
FLY
EARWIG
SCAVENGER
CONSUMER
EATEN BY
Centipede
Frog
Ground beetle
Raccoon
Sparrow
OMNIVORE & SCAVENGER
CONSUMER
EATS
Broadleaf plants
Aphids
Grasses and grains
Ants
Fleshy fruits and berries
Woody plants — trees, shrubs
Dead plant material
Dead and dying invertebrates
Soil insects
Crickets
Earthworms
Isopods
Scarab beetles
Snails and slugs
Dead vertebrates
Garbage
Seeds, nuts, acorns, cones
EATS
Dead vertebrates
Garbage
Dead and dying invertebrates
EATEN BY
Cat
Daddy longlegs
Frog
Garter snake
Jumping spider
Mouse
Orb-weaver spider
Robin
Sparrow
Toad
Daddy longlegs
Garter snake
Jumping spider
Robin
Toad
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
FROG
EATS
Frogs
Earthworms
Crickets
Toads
Flies
Isopods
Mice
Scarab beetles
Earwigs
Daddy longlegs
Centipedes
Ants
Caterpillars
Centipedes
Earwigs
Ground beetles
Jumping spiders
Orb-weaver spiders
Snails and slugs
Scarab beetles
Dead and dying
invertebrates
EATEN BY
Cat
Hawk
Raccoon
Robin
Screech owl
Garter snake
Raccoon
Screech owl
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
Core Curriculum/Oklahoma
CARNIVORE
CONSUMER
CARNIVORE
CONSUMER
EATEN BY
Cat
Hawk
Robin
Toad
GARTER SNAKE
(Wood Frog)
EATS
Flies
Earthworms
Crickets
Snails and slugs
Caterpillars
Isopods
Orb-weaver spiders
Jumping spiders
Ground beetles
(Housefly)
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© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
GROUND BEETLE
CARNIVORE
Centipede
Garter snake
Raccoon
Screech owl
Squirrel
(Red Tail Hawk)
CONSUMER
EATEN BY
Cat
Frog
Mouse
Robin
Sparrow
Toad
OMNIVORE (some species are CARNIVORES or SCAVENGERS)
CONSUMER
EATS
Aphids
Caterpillars
Crickets
Earthworms
Earwig
Isopods
Snails and slugs
Garbage
Broadleaf plants
Ants
Dead vertebrates
Daddy longlegs
Soil insects
Dead and dying inver tebrates
Dead plant material
Fleshy fruits and berries
Grasses and grains
Seeds, nuts, acorns, cones
Woody plants — trees, shrubs
HAWK
EATS
Mice
Squirrels
Garter snakes
Rabbits
Crickets
Frogs
Raccoons
Robins
Sparrows
Toads
Dead vertebrates
EATEN BY
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
ISOPODS
JUMPING SPIDER
EATS
Aphids
Crickets
Flies
Scarab beetles
Soil insects
Caterpillars
Earwigs
Isopods
Orb-weaver spiders
Ants
Dead and dying
inver tebrates
Other spiders
EATEN BY
Cat
Frog
Orb-weaver spider
Robin
Sparrow
Centipede
Earwig
Garter snake
Jumping spider
Robin
Toad
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
Core Curriculum/Oklahoma
CARNIVORE
EATEN BY
Ant
Daddy longlegs
Frog
Ground beetle
Raccoon
Sparrow
SCAVENGER & HERBIVORE
CONSUMER
EATS
Dead and dying inver tebrates
Dead plant material
Garbage
Broadleaf plants
Fleshy fruits and berries
Grasses and grains
Seeds, nuts, acorns, cones
Woody plants — trees, shrubs
CONSUMER
(Sowbugs, Pillbugs, Wood lice, Roly-polies)
Centipede
Garter snake
Raccoon
Screech owl
Toad
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
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© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
CONSUMER
CARNIVORE
CONSUMER
EATS
Dead plant material
Broadleaf plants
Grasses and grains
Fleshy fruits and berries
Garbage
Dead vertebrates
Dead and dying invertebrates
EATS
Aphids
Soil insects
EATEN BY
(protected by bitter taste)
SCAVENGER & HERBIVORE
MILLIPEDE
LADYBUG
EATEN BY
Centipede
Robin
Sparrow
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
ORB-WEAVER SPIDER
MOUSE
Core Curriculum/Oklahoma
CARNIVORE
EATEN BY
Cat
Hawk
Screech owl
CONSUMER
OMNIVORE
CONSUMER
EATS
Grasses and grains
Seeds, nuts, acorns,
cones
Fleshy fruits and
berries
Crickets
Snails
Ground beetles
Garbage
Dead and dying
invertebrates
Dead plant material
Woody plants — trees,
Caterpillars
Centipedes
Flies
Scarab beetles
Broadleaf plants
Ants
EATS
Aphids
Crickets
Flies
Jumping spiders
Scarab beetles
Dead and dying invertebrates
Ants
shrubs
EATEN BY
Cat
Frog
Garter snake
Raccoon
Robin
Screech owl
Sparrow
Toad
Garter snake
Raccoon
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
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© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
RABBIT
RACCOON
OMNIVORE
CONSUMER
HERBIVORE
CONSUMER
EATS
Fleshy fruits and berries
Frogs
Caterpillars
Earthworms
Centipedes
Snails and slugs
Crickets
Garbage
Daddy longlegs
Mice
Earwigs
Garter snakes
Ground beetles
Isopods
Jumping spiders
Orb-weaver spiders Rabbits
Scarab beetles
Squirrels
Dead and dying inver tebrates
Seeds, nuts, acorns, cones
EATS
Broadleaf plants
Grasses and grains
Woody plants — trees, shrubs
Fleshy fruits and berries
Seeds, nuts, acorns, cones
Dead plant material
EATEN BY
Cat
Hawk
Raccoon
EATEN BY
Hawk
Cat (babies)
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
SCARAB BEETLE
ROBIN
EATEN BY
Cat
Screech owl
Core Curriculum/Oklahoma
EATS
Dead vertebrates
Dead and dying inver tebrates
Dead plant material
Garbage
Broadleaf plants
Fleshy fruits and berries
Grasses and grains
Seeds, nuts, acorns, cones
EATEN BY
Ant
Centipede
Frog
Jumping spider
Orb-weaver spider
Robin
Sparrow
Toad
Hawk
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
Cat
Earwig
Garter snake
Mouse
Raccoon
Screech owl
Squirrel
OMNIVORE (some species are SCAVENGERS)
CONSUMER
OMNIVORE
CONSUMER
EATS
Earthworms
Ants
Caterpillars
Centipedes
Snails and slugs
Daddy longlegs
Fleshy fruits and
Earwigs
berries
Frogs
Soil insects
Ground beetles
Flies
Jumping spiders
Garter snakes
Orb-weaver spiders
Isopods
Snails and slugs
Millipedes
Aphids
Scarab beetles
Crickets
Dead and dying inver tebrates
Seeds, nuts, acorns, cones
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
61
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
SNAILS & SLUGS
SCREECH OWL
EAT
Dead plant material
Garbage
Broadleaf plants
Fleshy fruits and berries
Grasses and grains
Woody plants — trees, shrubs
Caterpillars
Crickets
Daddy longlegs
Garter snakes
Jumping spiders
Robins
Snails and slugs
EATEN BY
Ant
Centipede
Earwig
Garter snake
Mouse (snails only)
Robin
Sparrow
Toad
Squirrels
Toads
Dead vertebrates
Dead and dying inver tebrates
EATEN BY
Cat
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
SOIL INSECTS & MITES
SPARROW (House Sparrow)
Centipede
Earwig
Jumping spider
Robin
Toad
EATEN BY
Cat
Hawk
Screech owl
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
Core Curriculum/Oklahoma
OMNIVORE
CONSUMER
SCAVENGERS
CONSUMER
EATS
Seeds
Ants
Caterpillars
Aphids
Jumping spiders
Centipedes
Orb-weaver spiders Crickets
Daddy longlegs
Earthworms
Earwigs
Flies
Ground beetles
Isopods
Millipedes
Scarab beetles
Snails and slugs
Soil insects
Dead and dying invertebrates
Fleshy fruits and berries
EAT
Dead plant material
Dead and dying inver tebrates
Dead vertebrates
Garbage
Woody plants (roots and shoots)
EATEN BY
Ant
Daddy longlegs
Ground beetle
Ladybug
Sparrow
Cat (snails only)
Daddy longlegs
Frog
Ground beetle
Raccoon
Screech owl
Squirrel
HERBIVORE (some species are SCAVENGERS)
CONSUMER
CARNIVORE
CONSUMER
EATS
Mice
Sparrow
Frogs
Earthworms
Ground beetles
Orb-weaver spiders
Scarab beetles
62
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
SQUIRREL
TOAD
(Gray Squirrel)
EATS
Snails and slugs
Soil insects
Caterpillars
Aphids
Crickets
Centipedes
Earthworms
Daddy longlegs
Flies
Earwigs
Ants
Frogs
Ground beetles
Isopods
Jumping spiders
Orb-weaver spiders
Scarab beetles
Fleshy fruits and berries
EATEN BY
Cat
Hawk
Raccoon
Screech owl
EATEN BY
Garter snake
Hawk
Screech owl
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
DEAD & DYING
INVERTEBRATES
DEAD VERTEBRATES
EATEN BY
Ant
Cat
Cricket
Earwig
Fly
Ground beetle
Hawk
Millipede
Scarab beetle
Screech owl
Soil insects and mites
EATEN BY
Ant
Cat
Centipede
Cricket
Daddy longlegs
Earwig
Fly
Garter snake
Ground beetle
Sparrow
Isopod
Jumping spider
Millipede
Mouse
Orb-weaver spider
Raccoon
Robin
Scarab beetle
Screech owl
Soil insects and mites
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
Core Curriculum/Oklahoma
CARNIVORE
CONSUMER
OMNIVORE (primarily HERBIVORES)
CONSUMER
EATS
Seeds, nuts, acorns, cones
Fleshy fruits and berries
Caterpillars
Crickets
Ground beetles
Scarab beetles
Snails and slugs
Garbage
Broadleaf plants
Grasses and grains
Woody plants — trees, shrubs
63
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
GARBAGE
DEAD PLANT
MATERIAL
EATEN BY
Ant
Caterpillar
Cricket
Daddy longlegs
Earthworm
Earwig
Ground beetle
Isopod
Millipede
Mouse
Rabbit
Scarab beetle
Snails and slugs
Soil insects and mites
EATEN BY
Ant
Cricket
Earwig
Fly
Ground beetle
Isopod
Millipede
Mouse
Raccoon
Scarab beetle
Snails and slugs
Soil insects and mites
Squirrel
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
BROADLEAF PLANTS
PRODUCER
PRODUCER
(Leaves, Flowers, Stems, and/or
Roots)
FLESHY FRUITS &
BERRIES
EATEN BY
Ant
Cricket
Ground beetle
Millipede
Rabbit
Robin
Snails and slugs
Squirrel
EATEN BY
Ant
Aphid
Caterpillar
Cricket
Earwig
Ground beetle
Isopod
Millipede
Mouse
Rabbit
Scarab beetle
Snails and slugs
Squirrel
Daddy longlegs (juices only)
Caterpillar
Earwig
Isopod
Mouse
Raccoon
Scarab beetle
Sparrow
Toad
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
Core Curriculum/Oklahoma
(Mixture)
64
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
GRASSES & GRAINS
SEEDS, NUTS,
ACORNS, CONES
(Leaves, Stems, and/or Roots)
PRODUCER
PRODUCER
EATEN BY
Ant
Caterpillar
Cricket
Earwig
Ground beetle
Isopod
Mouse
Rabbit
Raccoon
Robin
Scarab beetle
Sparrow
Squirrel
EATEN BY
Ant
Caterpillar
Cricket
Earwig
Ground beetle
Isopod
Millipede
Mouse
Rabbit
Scarab beetle
Snails and slugs
Squirrel
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
WOODY PLANTS
(Trees, Shrubs, Leaves,
Needles, Bark, and/or Roots)
PRODUCER
EATEN BY
Ant
Aphid
Caterpillar
Cricket
Earwig
Ground beetle
Isopod
Mouse
Rabbit
Snails and slugs
Soil insects
Squirrel
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
Core Curriculum/Oklahoma
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
65
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
Words by Suzy Gazlay
#
& c
(D7)
&
w
&
&
#
Tune: The Green Grass Grew All Around
œ
œ
œ
There was
œ
#
ground,
#
round,
w
D
a
œ
œ
œ
G
And the
œ
œ
w
œ
œ
œ
œ
C
œ
roots took in
œ
œ
œ
Grew
œ
œ
in
the
œ
œ
Spread them a -
œ
œ
œ
œ
wa - ter And the
œ œ œ
œ
œ
D
œ
œ
en- er- gy that came from the
œ œ œ
G
œ
œ
œ
roots,
œ
leaves made the food With
# G
& œ
œ
plant
œ
œ
w
© Suzy Gazlay 2003. Used by permission.
Put down some
˙.
œ
G
œ
œ
D
œ
œ
G
w œ
sun, from the sun, With en-er- gy that came from the sun.
A small green frog
With specks of brown
Spotted that bug
And gulped it down.
Yes, the frog ate the bug
That nibbled the leaf
The leaf from the plant
That made its own food
With energy that came
from the sun, from the sun,
With energy that came
from the sun.
A tiny bug
With appetite
Munched on that plant
Both day and night,
And it nibbled the leaf,
The leaf from the plant
That made its own food
With energy that came from the sun,
from the sun,
With energy that came from the sun.
Core Curriculum/Oklahoma
66
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
A hungry snake
Lying in wait
Pounced on that frog:
It tasted great!
Yes, the snake ate the frog
That gobbled the bug
That nibbled the leaf
The leaf from the plant
That made its own food
With energy that came from the sun,
from the sun,
With energy that came from the sun.
A red-tailed hawk
Was soaring by
It saw the snake,
Dove from the sky
Yes, the hawk ate the snake
That pounced on the frog
That gobbled the bug
That nibbled the leaf
The leaf from the plant
That made its own food
With energy that came from the sun,
from the sun,
With energy that came from the sun.
Core Curriculum/Oklahoma
The food chain tale
Is never done:
Sun’s energy
Moves to each one:
To the hawk from the snake
To the snake from the frog
To the frog from the bug
To the bug from the leaf
That leaf from the plant
That made its own food
With energy that came from the sun,
from the sun,
With energy that came from the sun.
67
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
Connecting Learning
1. What were some of the most
common categories suggested
to sort the cards? What were
some of the most unusual?
2. Which organisms seem to appear
most often in the playground food
chains? What reasons do you think
might explain this? Which organisms
don’t seem to appear as frequently?
Why do you think this is so?
3. Do you appear in the playground
food chain? Is there anything on any
of the cards that you might eat?
4. Which organisms seem to be the most
picky eaters? Do you think this makes
it easier or harder for them to survive
on your playground? Explain.
Core Curriculum/Oklahoma
68
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation
Connecting Learning
5.Which organism is eaten by
the most different kinds of
consumers? How do you think
it manages to survive when it
is such a popular food?
6.Which producer is most common on
your playground? How would the
playground habitat be different if it
no longer grew there?
7.Which animal is most common in
your playground habitat? If it were no
longer there, what plants would be
affected? What other animals would
be affected? Would they be able to
survive without it? Give reasons for
your answer.
8.What are you wondering now?
Core Curriculum/Oklahoma
69
© 2004 AIMS Education Foundation